ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — Westlake Ace Hardware, a Lenexa, Kansas-based retailer, plans to open a new store in Twin Oaks in west St. Louis County.
The retailer said this week it has agreed to open the store at 1144 Meramec Station Road in a former Shop ‘n Save grocery store. That was one of 16 Shop 'n Save locations then-owner Supervalu shuttered in late 2018 after selling 19 Shop 'n Save locations to Schnuck Markets.
According to St. Louis County records, the property currently is owned by Grocery & Pharmacy Portfolio DST, an affiliate of Oak Brook, Illinois-based Inland Real Estate Investment Corp. Westlake declined to disclose terms of its lease, according to a spokesman. However, officials disclosed that Westlake is leasing 18,000 square feet of the former Shop 'n Save's approximately 53,000 square feet. Grocer Aldi plans to occupy another 22,800 square feet of the space, according to documents filed with Twin Oaks.
The new hardware store will be Westlake's fifth in the St. Louis area. Westlake Ace Hardware, a subsidiary of Ace Hardware Corp., already operates stores in Brentwood, Crestwood, Maryland Heights and St. Peters.
Renovations to the Twin Oaks space will take place this year, Westlake officials said, with more remodeling and merchandising to be done in the first half of 2022. A so-called "soft opening" for the store is tentatively planned for June 2022. The property owner is handling the renovation and construction, according to Westlake's spokesman.
Once fully staffed, the new store is expected to employ about 25 full- and part-time workers. Westlake will be hiring for the Twin Oaks store in the first half of 2022. Westlake currently employs about 100 full- and part-time workers in the St. Louis area, and about 4,000 companywide.
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